Newslinks for Saturday 17th September 2016

Tusk reveals that Brexit talks may start in January

“Theresa May will start Brexit negotiations with Brussels at the start of next year, EU leaders were told last night. The Prime Minister has informed them it is ‘quite likely’ she will be ready to invoke Article 50 in either January or February. It would pave the way for Britain to have left by 2019. European Council president Donald Tusk revealed the timetable for Brexit at a meeting yesterday in Bratislava of the leaders of the 27 countries that will remain EU members.” – Daily Mail

Europe should not depend so on the ‘healing powers’ of Merkel – The Times (£)

Matthew Parris: Making enemies is no way for May to start

“This grammar school business seems very strange to me. Strange not because I think it right or wrong that we add some more selective schools to the state-school mix. I’ve no idea. It might be a brilliant move. But assuming Mrs May wants to pursue it, there’s no need for the big bust-up she seems intent on provoking. Why not start with the thin end of the wedge — and understate? She seems to have gone in with the thick end, though the final proposals will be far less provocative.” – The Times (£)

“David Mundell will today accuse Nicola Sturgeon of using “increasingly alarmist” rhetoric about Brexit to distract Scots from the fact that it has made independence even riskier. Speaking on the eve of the independence referendum’s second anniversary, the Scottish Secretary will attack the First Minister’s “doom-mongering warnings” as being irresponsible and suggest they are designed to make separation appear the safest option rather than provide a truthful analysis.” – Daily Telegraph

Scottish Secretary warns that Euro would be price of independent EU membership – The Scotsman

Salmond declares that referendum rematch will be held in 2018 – The Times (£)

First Minister sets up ‘growth commission’ but is warned that Scotland needs fracking – Daily Telegraph

Ineo boss declares that without fracking Scotland will never be independent – The Scotsman

Four nations determined to block Scottish accession to the EU – Daily Express

“The Queen’s private yacht could be turned into a ‘floating embassy’ to help increase trade around the world in the wake of Brexit. It is understood Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is considering returning the Royal Yacht Britannia to the waves as a ‘great symbol of global Britain’. The ship, which entered service in 1954 and was decommissioned in 1997, previously hosted trade talks in the early 90s that reportedly brought in billions of pounds to the economy.” – Daily Mail

Khan comments fuel speculation that he will try to oust Met chief

“Sadiq Khan publicly rebuked the Metropolitan police commissioner three times in one meeting, highlighting tensions between the London mayor and the country’s most senior police officer. Mr Khan’s comments fuelled speculation that he will try to oust Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe before the police chief completes a one-year contract extension, causing a headache for the Home Office.” – The Times (£)

What does the Mayor hope to learn from his visit to Chicago? – Daily Mail

More Labour:

Cooper calls on May to admit more than 20,000 Syrian refugees – Daily Express

Smith accuses Momentum of using Labour as ‘host body’

“Owen Smith has made an outspoken attack on Momentum, the grassroots movement set up to support Jeremy Corbyn, accusing it of using the party like a “host body” to promote hard-left policies. With just five days to go until voting closes in the hard-fought leadership contest, the challenger compared Momentum, which has been closely involved in Corbyn’s campaign, to Militant, the hard-left group expelled from Labour in the 1980s.” – The Guardian

Banks unveils plans for ‘People’s Movement’

“Ukip’s most high-profile donor unveiled plans to launch a complementary movement to the party. Arron Banks, the multimillionaire insurance tycoon, plans to transform the Leave.EU Brexit campaign he financed before the referendum into a cross-party group with bigger ambitions. Dubbed the People’s Movement by insiders, the group will retain the official name Leave.EU. It is set to pursue a social and political reform agenda as well as keeping up pressure on the government to deliver a “hard” Brexit.” – The Times (£)

James calls on the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50 ‘now’ – The Times (£)

Matthew Goodwin: To survive, UKIP must become Labour’s worst nightmare

“it could be argued that Ukip’s greatest potential going forward lies more in Labour than Conservative territory, where the party is already the second party in 44 Labour-held constituencies. Taking advantage of the tangible disillusionment with Jeremy Corbyn and the utter failure of his party to talk about immigration, Englishness and belonging in ways that resonate with blue-collar Britain is an obvious avenue to pursue.” – Daily Telegraph

Six things Diane James needs to do to succeed as leader – Asa Bennett, Daily Telegraph

Lib Dems mull dedicated ‘NHS tax’

“The Liberal Democrats are poised to become the first major political party to back a dedicated new tax to help rescue the NHS from its deep financial problems. The party is about to start examining the wisdom and practicalities of introducing a ringfenced tax which would involve a one pence increase in either income tax or National Insurance. The party has recruited a panel of senior doctors and NHS experts to advise it on how what it calls “a dedicated NHS and care tax” would help ease the health service’s decade-long financial squeeze.” – The Guardian

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